COMMONWEALTH Games champion Lauren Price is looking forward to a well-earned rest after having to settle for bronze at the European Women’s Boxing Championships in Bulgaria.

The 23-year-old Gwent middleweight, who also won European bronze medals in 2011 and 2016, was on the wrong end of a split decision against Ukraine’s Mariya Borutsa in this year’s semi-finals.

Price, from Bargoed but now living in Ystrad Mynach, made a good start to the three-round contest but Borutsa came back strongly to secure a 3-2 verdict.

The Welsh fighter, a Commonwealth gold medallist in Australia in April, had to go to hospital following the bout after being caught in the mouth late on.

GB Boxing squad member Price took to Twitter while waiting for her lip to be treated to give her take on the fight and to look ahead to the future.

She posted two pictures of the wound and wrote: “What can I say? This boxing is a tough game.

“I lost 3-2 on a split decision. Everyone I’ve spoken to thought I should have won and got the decision.”

She added: “Coming home with a bronze medal to add to the collection.

“I’ve had an amazing six months training, winning gold at the Commonwealth Games and medalling at the Europeans.

“Looking forward to having some time off when I get back and live a normal life for a couple of weeks before we get back to the graft.

“It’s two years until the Olympic Games and I’m getting better and better.”

The former Wales football international continued: “And as for the lip, got head-butted a few times so sat in a Bulgarian hospital waiting to be stitched – on a positive note, still got my teeth.”

Price created history on the Gold Coast earlier this year when she became the first Welsh woman to win a gold medal in the boxing ring at a Commonwealth Games.

She also wrote her name in the record books in 2014 when she became the first female fighter from Wales to stand on the medal podium at a Commonwealth Games after claiming bronze in Glasgow.

The multi-talented Price will now be targeting the world championships later this year, as well as the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.